Book urn



Feb. 2, 1965 G. BACHOFNER BOOK URN Filed Jan. 29, 1962 3 l l V/l l R mp 0 mm mm V m s U G ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,167,844 BOOK URN Gustav Bachofner, Rte. 2, Box 268, Troutdale, Oreg.

' Filed Jan. 29, 1962, Ser. No. 169,504

1 Claim. (Cl. 27-1) This invention relates to a book urn for preserving the ashes of a body after cremation.

Conventional book urns are of two general types. In one type a name plate is attached to the casting or castings which form the urn. This arrangement has the advantage of making all the urn castings identical for low cost production but it is more desirable to have the name cast as an integral and permanent part of the urn itself so that it cannot be detached or become lost.

To overcome such objection another type of book urn is available having a single casting with the name forming a part of the casting. This makes it impossible for the name to become detached or lost but it makes the castings quite expensive since the pattern and mold must be changed after each casting is made. Also, an urn made as a single casting creates the problem of closing an access opening. This has led to the use of such small openings that when the ashes are already contained in a separate receptacle, special small receptacles must be provided for the book-type urns.

The general object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide an improved book urn made in two parts, one part comprising a standardized casting forming a major portion of the urn and the other part being a smaller casting which is custom made for each urn, the latter carrying the name. Other objects are to provide an economical form of urn construction which is of a durable and permanent nature and to provide an urn having a large access opening and having the name cast as an integral part of the urn.

In the present construction a single main casting forms all of the simulated book except the binding edge and contains all of the intricate features which require an expensive type of mold. This part is standard for all urns. The binding edge which carries the name is made as a separate small casting which is made individually for each owner. The mold for this part may be of a simple and inexpensive type. This mold is used only once and then destroyed. The two parts are fastened together with concealed screws. The name cannot be removed without taking the urn apart. This arrangement also has the advantage of providing a large opening in the main casting to receive a standard size receptacle containing the ashes.

The foregoing and other objects will become apparent and the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment illustrated on the accompanying drawing. Various changes may be made, however, in the details of construction and arrangement of parts and all such modifications within the scope of the appended claim are included in the invention.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view showing a book urn embodying the principles of the invention with its two parts separated from each other;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the book urn with parts broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view with parts broken away; and

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view.

The present urn comprises the two parts A and B. Both parts are castings made from a suitable non-corrodible metal such as bronze. The part A is a receptacle simulating the five sides of a book comprising the two "Ice covers and the exposed edges of the pages when the book is closed. This is the major part of the urn requiring an intricate and expensive mold and is identical for all urns.

The part B is a much smaller closure casting simulating the binding edge of a book carrying the name 10. The name 10 is cast as an integral part of the smaller casting B whereby it cannot be detached without taking the urn apart. The mold for this casting, besides being small, is of a simple and inexpensive type and is used only once.

The part B is curved, having an interior concave surface provided with a horizontal groove 11 a short distance down from the top edge and a short distance up from the bottom edge. These grooves receive the similarly curved edges 12 of the top and bottom walls 13 and 14 of the casting A. The front and back walls 15 and 16 have the same vertical height as the casting B whereby they project slightly above top wall 13 and slightly below bottom Wall 14 just as the covers of a book project beyond the edge of the pages.

The side edges of casting B have flat back faces 20 disposed in a common vertical plane to abut against the mating flat faces 21 on the vertical edges of the walls 15 and 16 of casting A. Grooves 11 terminate at the inner edges of the faces 20 whereby these grooves serve to locate the casting B accurately in close fitting engagement with the open end of casting A. The ends of groove 11 engage the front and back projecting edge surfaces 22 on the top and bottom walls 13 and 14.

Thus, the edges 12 constitute tongues fitting into the grooves 11 making these joints inconspicuous. The side edges of casting B are bulged at 23 to simulate the hinge bulges of the covers in a book binding. These bulges make the joints 20, 21 inconspicuous. When the two parts are assembled they appear to form a single integral casting which is durable and permanent in appearance as well as in fact.

The two castings A and B are secured together by a pair of long screw bolts 25. The heads of these bolts are partially concealed in recesses 26 in the vertical edge 27 of casting A. The opposite ends of these bolts are screwed into threaded bosses 30 on the inside surface of casting B. In order to hold the bolts in pre-aligned positions, upper and lower bridge lugs 31 are provided in the casting A having smooth holes 32 to guide the inner ends of bolts 25. A nut or other suitable retainer 33 may be crimped on each bolt between lug 31 and its threaded end to prevent withdrawal of the bolt. Thus, the bolts are always in position to engage the threaded bosses 30 and when the bolts are tightened in these bosses the surfaces 20 are drawn tightly against the surfaces 21.

When the urns are purchased in advance, plain castings B without any lettering are supplied. Then when the urn is to be used, a new casting B is made containing the proper name and dates and this is exchanged for the blank casting. The blank castings thus removed from time to time are then available for use on other newly purchased urns which are not to be used immediately. Removal of the casting B provides a large opening in the urn to receive the ash receptacle whereby the ashes may be contained within a standard size receptacle which is placed bodily inside the casting A.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A book urn comprising a main casting having an open side and five side walls simulating the covers and exposed page edges of a book, a pair of integral apertured bridge lugs extending across each of the inside faces of said side walls which simulate the top and bottom page edges of the book, said walls which simulate the top and bottom page edges having projecting end portions extending beyond the walls simulating the covers of the book at the open side of said urn, a closure casting on said open side simulating the binding edge of the book, transverse grooves spaced from the upper and lower ends of said closure casting receiving said'projecting end portions of said top and bottom Walls of said main casting, outward bulges in the side edges of said closure casting adjacent to the joint line with said main casting simulating hinge portions of the book covers, a pair of apertured recesses in the outside of the vertical page edge wall of said r'n'ain casting in alignment with the apertures in said bridge lugs, screw bolts having heads in said recesses and extending through said bridge lug apertures for threaded engagement at their ends with said closure casting, said closure casting having threaded bosses engaging said bolts for maintaining the closure casting in position to close said open side, and retainers on said bolts between said lugs and the closure casting engaging ends of the bolts.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Bolser 220-55 X FOREIGN PATENTS 3/34 France.

15 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Examiner. 

